A computer tool for designing solar-thermoelectric power generation system

This paper presents a computer tool to design solar-thermoelectric power generation plant. The system is composed of truncated compound parabolic collectors (CPC) with a flat receiver, flat plate collectors, thermoelectric modules and appropriate connecting pipes and control devices. The design tool uses TRNSYS with Ilsibat program with a new component we developed for the thermoelectric modules. The main input data of the system are the specification of TE modules, hot side temperature of thermoelectric modules, and the desired power output. An example of the design using a truncated compound parabolic collectors and flat plate collectors is reported and discussed for various slope angle and the half-acceptance angle of CPC. To minimize system cost, seasonal adjustment of the slope angle between 0° and 30° can give relatively high power output using Bangkok ambient condition. Based on simulation output, 500 W solar-thermoelectric power generator was designed. Measured data showed reasonable agreement with the model outputs. Therefore, the TRNSYS software and the developed thermoelectric component offers an extremely powerful tool for the design and performance analysis of solar thermoelectric power generation plant.